Opening the post editor for a specific post or page and adding a new custom field and value is simple once you know how. This post addresses two issues that can cause confusion the first time you try to add one of these fields.

1. My editor page does not have an “Add Custom Fields box” like the above:

You have to tell WordPress to include it on the page: Click the “Screen Options” dropdown (top of page) and then check the “Custom Fields” checkbox. The “box” to add Customs will now be visible towards the bottom of the page.

The “Add Custom Field box” will now appear near the bottom of the page on every post you open to edit.

2. I want to add a value for a new custom field but it is not listed in the dropdown – how do I add it?

The Custom Field options (below) are misleading. The large “Add Custom Field” button is to add a value to the post for a custom field that is already in use (somewhere) on your site. To add a value to the post for a new custom field that has not previously been used on any post or page you must instead click the tiny “Enter new” text that appears above this button. You can then type in a new field name plus value for the current post.

Once you have done this; the custom field name will then be available in the dropdown box whenever you open a post or page for editing.

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